Under this initiative, 30 forest producer companies are being established, forming a robust network of 300 women leaders.
The Department of Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB) has launched the ‘Green Shakti Producer Company Business Enterprise Leadership Cohort.’
This joint initiative is dedicated to empowering 30 women-led, forest-based enterprises across six districts of Odisha: Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri. Under this initiative, 30 forest producer companies are being established, forming a robust network of 300 women leaders. This network will continue expanding through structured programme sprints until August 2025.
As part of the joint initiative, a three-day intensive planning and orientation workshop was held recently at the Mission Shakti Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, gathering over 170 board members to strategise on developing a responsible forest economy. Designed around an innovative pedagogical approach, the leadership programme offered comprehensive training in financial literacy, leadership, business management, and sustainable resource utilisation.
The inaugural capacity-building sessions included discussions with Boards of Directors and Promoters, focusing on equitable benefit distribution models and inclusive strategies for integrating shareholders. Consequently, each producer company aims to onboard more than 1,000 primary producers, directly benefiting over 30,000+ women across the targeted districts.
Highlighting the transformative potential of the said initiative, Smt. Shalini Pandit, IAS, Commissioner-Cum-Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, stated, “The planning sessions within these workshops are tailored to empower women leaders with strategic business acumen, laying a foundation for collective development and societal progress in these regions.”
The orientation sessions emphasised accountability, transparency, and democratic decision-making within forest producer companies to address power imbalances prevalent in rural Odisha. Board members participated in training on institutional finance and industry compliance, enabling them to foster robust business ecosystems within their respective producer company clusters.
Additionally, the workshop highlighted aggregation strategies aimed at large-scale collective sales of seasonal forest products, particularly Sal seeds. Discussions included best practices in the collection, storage, and bulk trading of these products, maximizing returns for primary collectors and ensuring long-term sustainability.
In her keynote address, Dr. Monica Priyadarshini, IAS, Director-cum-CEO, Department of Mission Shakti, and Chief Guest, emphasised, “This three-day training has convened highly motivated women entrepreneurs, many of whom have travelled long distances to participate. Under this initiative, they will engage with Sal seeds, a product in high demand domestically and internationally for its fats and oils. The workshop aims to equip producer companies with the essential knowledge to significantly enhance profitability, potentially elevating each woman leader to the status of a Crorepati Didi.”
Highlighting the considerable potential of the Leadership Cohort, Professor. Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at ISB, stated, “India’s forests offer immense opportunities. Over the next few months, we anticipate operations in Odisha to scale significantly, marking a crucial step towards building a prosperous forest economy that generates positive outcomes for people, profit, and the planet.”
